DA upbeat bird flu has been contained

MANILA, Philippines -  Two weeks after the outbreak of bird flu in the country, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is upbeat that the case in Nueva Ecija will be the last one and will no longer spread to nearby provinces.

Arlene Vytiaco, head of the animal disease and control division of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), said the DA has contained the virus and expects that no new case will be reported.

“So far none. No new deaths. All were cleared already and the suspected people tested negative. And no new cases have been reported,” Vytiaco said in a phone interview over the weekend.

“We have started the incubation period and that means there is a greater chance that the virus will no longer spread. Unless there are those who are keeping (death reports) again but so far, we did not find any after our inspections,” she added.

The depopulation and culling process in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija is finished. Cleaning, disinfection and further surveillance are ongoing.

“We were able to contain it that’s why we also decided to lift the shipment ban. We need to meet halfway, enabling trade but but at the same time we do not put at risk other areas particularly Visayas and Mindanao,” Vytiaco said.

“We need to make sure that we do not hamper the business of poultry raisers,” she added.

Next month, the DA will start inspecting farms nationwide to prevent a new case of infection.

The DA, through BAI, is forming a biosecurity team that will inspect all poultry and livestock farms to ensure abidance to biosecurity measures.

“We want to emphasize the biosecurity. We are now ironing out the biosecurity standards and the teams. Hopefully by September, we can start already,” Vytiaco said.

The DA also allocated P52 million indemnification for farmers, of which more than half or P29 million will be released today in Pampanga.

The Agricultural Credit Policy Council, through the Rural Bank of San Luis, will also release P20 million in no-collateral, no-interest loans for farmers.

Last Thursday, Mayor Danilo Baylon of Candaba, Pampanga distributed 7,000 healthy chickens to his constituents in the riverside area to prove that the town is free from avian influenza.

Baylon said the broiler chickens were raised in his poultry farms with properly maintained biosecurity measures. The poultry were transported with a shipping permit and veterinary health certificate issued by the Provincial Veterinary Office.

Baylon said through his Danway Co., he regularly distributes broiler chickens to his constituents as part of the firm’s corporate social responsibility even before the bird flu outbreak.

Meanwhile, the provincial government of Negros Occidental wants the DA to continue banning the entry of game fowls to the province to prevent the entry of bird flu.

Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson disclosed on Friday the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental passed a resolution requesting the DA to continue the ban on entry of game fowls from Luzon to Visayas.

“Maybe we are overacting, but it is still better to be safe than sorry,” Lacson said.

Negros Occidental is popularly known in the country for breeding of game fowls.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol on Tuesday issued Administrative Circular No. 08 allowing the movement of live birds, poultry meat, day old chicks, eggs, and other poultry products from Visayas and Mindanao to Luzon since Visays and Mindanao remain free from avian influenza.

 – With Gilbert Bayoran, Ric Sapnu